To Resist
by musicalgirl4474
Summary: Artemis was found in the garden. Limp. Sick. There is no mark of physical harm . . . so what happened to him? And why was he attacked?
1. What's Wrong?

**A/N: So, I guess this is a new story. Which is stupid, since I have two other ongoing stories, but the plot bunnies bit. For two hours. At night. 'Till Twelve. Well, I hope you enjoy it. And please please PLEASE review.**

They'd found him lying in the garden, curled in the fetal position. Butler was beside himself.

"I shouldn't have let him out of my sight!" Butler had said, head in his hands.

"You couldn't have known anything was going to happen," Holly had said quietly, hovering a few feet above the ground to put a hand on her friend's shoulder, watching Artemis laying under the covers on his bed.

At first they hadn't even really thought anything was very wrong. They'd thought that . . . well, Holly wasn't really sure what she'd thought. That he'd fallen? That exhaustion had crept up on him? But then his brow started burning up. Right now she sat next to the human boy, dabbing his brow with a cold cloth.

Butler sat in an armchair, exhausted from his two-day vigil. Artemis' parents had been away, and Butler had called them after contacting Holly. They were expected home today. What would they think when they saw her? Holly didn't have any magic left to shield. She'd used all of it trying to heal Artemis. And it hadn't worked. As if her thoughts had conjured them, the crunch of car wheels could be heard coming up the drive.

Butler shook himself out of his stupor, and stood. "I'll try to explain things to them," he said. "Do you want to hide?"

Holly shook her head. She wouldn't leave her friend. There wasn't much she could do for her friend, but something told her things would be a lot worse were she to leave. The smallest bit of magic left in her tank almost _tingled_.

"His mother already knows, no reason to keep it from his father too. Not when magic caused this."

Butler stopped, hand on the door knob. "You think a fairy did this?" he asked, voice low, almost threatening.

"I don't know. I think so, it would be why my magic isn't having any effect."

Butler nodded, and exited the room.

"Oh my friend," Holly sighed, brushing away the hair stuck to Artemis' sticky brow. "What happened to you?" Even Foaly seemed to have no answers. She'd asked him (via helmet, of course) to see if he could find anything. The problem, according to the centaur, was that they didn't have any odd symptoms to pinpoint. Just the fever and apparent magic-resistance. And the fact that Artemis hadn't moved since Butler found him in the garden. At all. It was almost as if his mind was gone.

She heard the patter of tiny feet, the herald of the twins and the whirlwind always sure to follow them. The Fowls had recently gotten a dog and two cats. The cats had taken to Artemis, which wasn't surprising. The dog, aptly named Turbo by an over-exited Beckett, followed the twins.

The door slammed open, and the two twins ran into the room, stopping short when the saw Holly. Turbo, however, did not. He trotted strait up to Holly where she sat by the bed, and jumped up onto her lap. Absently, she scratched the puppy on the top of his head.

"Who're you?" Myles asked, pointing at Holly. His blue eyes scrutinized her, so like Artemis. Or, what he might have been like at age five.

"I'm Artemis' friend," Holly said, smiling at the young boys. She looked up as Butler re-entered the room, Artemis' parents behind him. Angelina Fowl rushed to her son's side, heedless of Holly.

Artemis Fowl Senior, however, eyed the small girl who sat at his son's bedside with some suspicion. "What happened?" He asked.

"We're not sure," Holly said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Artemis' friend," Holly said again. "I also happen to be an elf."

The tall man raised his eyebrows, but Angelia looked at Holly from where she had pulled Butler's vacated chair closer to the bed.

"Are you Holly Short?"

Holly looked at the woman, surprised. "Yes," she said. "Did Artemis tell you about me?" The woman nodded.

"Along with a great many other things," she murmured, laying a hand on the side of her son's face. The twins crept closer, Beckett seemed less cautious than Myles.

Turbo jumped up onto the bed, whining as he nudged Artemis' head with his wet nose. Holly had to stifle an exhausted laugh. Holly felt something brush up against her legs, and looked down into the green eyes of Hermes, the brown cat. He pawed at the blanket that folded over the side of the bed. Holly bent down to pick up the cat. She guessed he'd been drawn by the noise. Hermes was a lot more social than his sister, the black and white Calypso, whom Becket called Caly.

He squirmed out of her arms, onto the bed with Turbo, who had sat back and looked at Artemis with his head tilted to the side. The twins both hopped onto the edge of the bed, but they were uncharacteristically silent. Butler and Artemis Senior both stood beside Angelina, Artemis' father looking down at his son with a worried expression.

"Do you have magic?" Myles asked suddenly.

"I did," Holly said quietly, passing the cold cloth to Angelina. "I used it all to try to heal him. But that's difficult when I don't know what it is that's wrong."

Hermes let out a whine, nuzzling the human boy's face. Most would scoff at a cat whining, but they did. Sometimes quite insistently. Holly felt her brow wrinkle in thought. Myles crawled up so he was sitting next to his older brother's shoulder. He touched the closed eyes gently.

Holly remembered something then. Something said by Yaro Burh, a leader in the area of child psychology. "Children and Animals have better instincts than adults, because they have room for that kind of thing. Not as many memories, not as much math and quantum sciences."

That made sense, and the way the animals nosed at Artemis' face, the way Myles seemed interested in his brother's closed eyes.

Beckett scooted up too, and pulled at the skin above his brother's left eye, as if trying to open it. Gently, lifting the young boy's hand away, Holly pulled open the eye. And gasped.

"What is it?" asked Butler. He looked at Holly's face, as the elf attempted to take in what she was seeing.

"He's . . . oh gods. I didn't think it was possible." She looked up at Butler, trying to covey the fact that this wasn't good. "He's trying to fight the _Mesmer_."


	2. Glimmer Vendera

**A/N: I got such a positive response to the first chapter! Thank you everyone! I'm on vacation, so the next one may take a little longer, due to . . . you know . . . visiting. But THANKS to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry if you don't like the length, I don't do good with long chapters.**

**This chapter is dedicated to **AnnaCromwell**.**

"Holly . . ." Foaly's voice came through the earpiece Holly had donned to tell the centaur her diagnosis. "That's not possible, and you know it. No human has _ever _resisted the _Mesmer_. Even strong minded-fairies can easily fall prey."

"Artemis seems to be the first for a lot of things," Holly pointed out. "Artemis' pupils are ragged, and I can't heal him with my magic. If he'd been Mesmerized to fall asleep, the amount of magic I used would have woken him up," Holly said.

"But even Artemis Fowl . . ."

"Has some magic in him. Which could help him fight it."

"Who? Who would want to Mesmerize Artemis?" Foaly asked.

"I'm sure there are plenty of fairies that don't like him, that may not have forgiven him for his first few . . . clashes with us."

" . . ." Foaly was silent for a while, the pause almost sounded loud.

"I'll come over soon as I can get clearance," the centaur said finally. "You said his family knows about us?"

Holly glanced at the people still stationed around (or in the case of the twins and animals, on) the bed. "Yup," she said, though that wasn't exactly the truth. She had yet to fill in most of the family on the missions, the details, basically everything other than the fact that fairies existed.

Foaly disconnected, and Holly left the chip in her ear.

"So . . . you're an elf," Artemis Senior, called Timmy by his wife, said.

"Yes. I'm also a leprechaun, but that's just a job. It's short for Lower Elements Police reconnaissance. I suppose you'll want to know about how Artemis came into contact with the fairy people?"

The twins looked up from where they were lying on their backs, Beckett with Turbo and Myles with Hermes, and nodded.

Quickly, Holly outlined the first time she'd met Artemis. How he'd kidnapped her and ransomed her back to her people, then given Holly half the ransom to heal his mother. Then she told the family about how Artemis had helped her foil Opal Koboi's goblin rebellion, in return for help rescuing his father from the mafia. Artemis' father didn't seem to know what to think about that. Then she told the family about the cube, and the mission concerning John Spiro. And the price Artemis paid for fairy assistance.

"You mean to tell me," Artemis Sr. said, voice almost dangerous, "that you took my son's memories of some of the bravest things he'd ever done, despite what he did for you against that . . . Opal Koboi?"

"It was procedure. I wasn't that into it either, and I don't think Foaly was either. But it all worked out. You see . . ." and then she told them about how Artemis had regained his memories after Opal had kidnapped them for revenge. About how he saved the fairies again, thwarting Opal's plan with the Zeeto probe. Then she told the family about how Artemis had discovered, and saved, the Demons, discovering the most powerful warlock for generations, and missing three years of his life. Then, she told them about going back in time to save Artemis' mother from Opal. Stopping his younger self from destroying the lemur, and at the same time, starting Artemis on the path to find the fairies. Then, more haltingly she told them about the most recent saving-the-world adventure. About how Artemis had succumbed to the Atlantis Complex, a guilt and magic driven illness. And then still somehow stopped Julius' evil brother Turnball from going on a murderous rampage.

When she was finished, the twins were looking at her with something akin to worship, Angeline looking down at her son's face with something like wonder, and more than a touch of sadness. Timmy simply turned to Butler and asked, "You were with him during all of this?"

"Most of it," Butler said. "He's my principle."

"Good man," Timmy said absently.

Just then, there was the ring of the doorbell.

"That'll be Foaly!" Holly said, jumping up from the chair. She hurried out the door, descending the staircase to the main doors, opening them so that the centaur could clop inside, holding his case of scientific implements.

"So," Foaly said, "where's our little, apparently miracle, human friend?"

"In his room. The family's there. Still no response to anything. Not that I've tried a lot." The centaur nodded as he worked his way up the stairs. Stairs weren't favorites of centaurs, it made for slightly awkward stumbles at times when they didn't pick up their rear legs quite high enough.

There wasn't a lot that was funnier than a human's reaction to seeing a centaur for the first time. Except for maybe Artemis', but as Foaly had said, their human friend was something of a miracle. "Hello, Butler," said Foaly, studiously ignoring the incredulous looks of the Fowls.

"Oh," said Myles in some surprise, "I guess Santa's real now too."

"What!?" Beckett asked his brother, a look of horror on his young face. "Santa's real, Myles. And now you're going on the naughty list!"

"Simple-toon," Myles muttered with some exasperation.

Holly helped Foaly set up one of his portable computers at the foot of the bed while Foaly unpacked the case. One of the things he pulled out was his modified ret-imager. Now all Foaly had to do to get an accurate image was hold a rod inset with special lights over the eye, and the scratches of the last few things seen would appear on the computer screen. Of course, it was a bit more complicated than that, but that was all Holly had really understood when the centaur had explained it to her.

Quickly, Foaly scanned Artemis' eyes, explaining how it worked to the Fowls. "Intriguing," Myles said, but he seemed to be the only one able to even remotely understand what the centaur. Foaly went over to the screen, hooking up the rod to the computer.

"Well Holly, you were right about the Mesmer," Foaly said quietly. Something in his tone made Holly take a look at the screen herself.

"But that's not possible," Holly said to herself.

"What is it Holly?" Butler asked gruffly.

"She's supposed to be dead," Holly said, staring at the black-haired elf that was the last thing Artemis had seen. Her silver eyes were the prominent part of the image, reflecting Artemis' figure.

"Glimmer Vendera," Foaly said darkly. "Would-be destroyer of Haven, second only to Opal Koboi."

"Um . . . care to expand on that?" Butler asked, eyebrows raised.

"Glimmer Vendera wanted to restart the war with the humans, retake the surface. She had quite the following, before Holly and Julius shut her down. This was about thirty years ago. Her ship blew up . . . it was believed she went down with the ship. Apparently not," Holly said, turning back around. "She was renowned for her magic and indiscriminate cruelty."

**A/N: Review? Pretty pretty please?**


	3. Worried

**A/N: Here's another chapter! Geez, I'm cranking them out! (Don't expect it this fast all the time . . . I guess all the reviews motivated me *wink wink*.) I hope you enjoy it.**

**This chapter is dedicated to** Eldewind Dolly**.**

**As always my lovely readers, R&R!**

Holly had never felt more helpless, watching as her friend fought something she couldn't help him with. Eventually, Angeline had left to put the twins to bed, Turbo following like a white and brown shadow. Artemis Fowl senior sat next to his son in Angeline's vacated chair, head in hands. Foaly had gone back to Haven, hoping that someone, perhaps Number One, could help Artemis. Holly could feel exhaustion creeping up on her, and her depleted magic didn't do anything to help. And then there was the fact that Glimmer Vendera was apparently alive. Holly's hand found Artemis' as she contemplated this latest development. It had been her first mission with Julius, her first, well, save-the-world kind of mission. The one that had caused Julius Root to become interested in her as a recon officer.

The fingers beneath her hand twitched. Holly looked up, eyes scanning, looking for some proof that what she'd felt hadn't been nothing but imagination. Artemis groaned, and his father, jerked his head up, Butler uncrossed his arms slowly, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Holly reached up to touch her friend's face, fingers trembling slightly.

"Artemis," she said quietly, barely daring to hope. "Open your eyes, please." His skin was burning, hotter than it had been before if that was possible. The boy's eyelids flickered for a moment, but they didn't open.

"Come on, Arty boy," his father said, and Holly could hear raw desperation in the older man's voice. "Wake up."

Artemis groaned, and it was a sound so full of pain, Holly winced. "I'm here, Arty," she murmured, running her hand (the one that was not clutching Artemis' own in a death grip) brushing his cheek gently. "I'm here."

She felt the boy shaking, his hand trembling beneath her own. Quickly, she took her hand from her cheek and pulled another cloth out of the owl of icy water. Her own hand was trembling as she sponged his sweaty brow. Soon enough, Holly too was shaking, though from exhaustion or something else, she wasn't sure.

A large, warm hand covered hers, and Holly's eyes jerked up from where she had been concentrating on Artemis' face. Artemis' father looked at her with blue eyes that held a warmth she somehow doubted the son had seen much of during his childhood. _But he has that now, she reminded herself_.

"I'll take over here," Artemis Fowl senior said quietly. "You've done so much, and I am thankful for it. But I think you could use some rest. Butler, could you show her to a guest room? Then get some sleep yourself."

Butler nodded and led Holly from the room. They walked quietly down the hall, each wreathed in exhaustion and filled with worry for their friend.

"He'll be fine," Butler said as Holly opened the human-sized door to the room she would be sleeping in.

"I know he will," Holly said. "What has me more worried is what Glimmer Vendera wanted him to do." This wasn't really the truth. She_ was _more worried about Artemis, but she knew him. And Artemis would be fine; after all, he always was. Even after crawling through plasma cannon feed. Glimmer Vendera was something of an unknown factor.

Holly closed the door, and the first thing she did was slip on her helmet and contact Foaly.

"Hey Foaly, any progress?" she asked.

"Ah, well, Number One is willing to go topside tomorrow, but he says he's not sure how much he'll be able to do. This is a unique condition Holly. Because Artemis has a little magic, he's not quite human anymore, but he's not a fairy either. He's kind of . . . in between. The Mesmer, well, we're not sure how he's fighting it, but it's effecting him in a very dangerous way." Foaly's rant petered off as the Centaur took a breath. "Vinyaya wants you to know that her resources and the LEP's are at your disposal. Not that not having that ever stopped you."

Holly laughed quietly. "He woke up," she said quietly. "I don't know if he still is awake, and he didn't open his eyes. But Foaly . . . he's in a lot of pain." Holly's throat caught, voice threatening to crack. "I'm scared. I know he's survived everything else . . . but eventually . . . something's gonna catch up with him. But Glimmer is my mistake. I didn't make sure she was gone, I just assumed, like the rookie I was, that everyone went down with the ship."

"Holly! Julius was supervising that mission. He was the voice in your helmet. He's the one that told you to pull out."

"I know Foaly . . . but I could never forgive myself if something I was supposed to stop-" Holly almost said kill, but she stopped herself, "- hurt Artemis. I just . . . couldn't."

"The Mud boy'll be fine," Foaly insisted. "Number One'll be there tomorrow, and he'll fix him right up."

"I hope you're right," Holly murmured, and cut the connection.

The bed was a little high, but Holly was an LEP officer. She'd stopped Opal Koboi more times than she could count, and stopped Turnball Root from causing chaos. A bed shouldn't be too much trouble, right? Apparently it could. Eventually, Holly pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and climbed onto that, from there jumping onto the bed. Why did anyone need a bed this high? Even for humans . . . this was a bit much. She placed the helmet on the chair and settled in to get some rest. Not for too long. She was convinced she wouldn't be able to sleep for long, worried about her friend as she was.

Shed left the door cracked, and she jumped when it creaked slightly on its hinges. She jumped up onto her knees to see what had caused it, there were no drafts in this house. The black and white cat that peered up at her with its green eyes. This was Calypso, the animal in the house who seemed most connected with Artemis. Given her reclusive nature, this wasn't really surprising. What was surprising, was the fact that the young feline decided it apparently wanted to sleep up in the ridiculously high bed with Holly.

After leaping onto the mattress courtesy of the chair Holly had used earlier, Calypso snuggled against Holly's side, her small black-and-white body heating Holly's cool skin through the jumpsuit.


	4. That Night

**A/N: I'm sorry this took a while and the chapter is a little shorter than normal . . . there wasn't much more of the story I could put in this one. Next one will probably be a bit longer.**

**This chapter is dedicated to **ibliniy**, who wanted to know more about Glimmer. :)**

**As always my loyal readers, R&R and I DO NOT own Artemis Fowl. That's a genius by the name of Eoin Colfer. **

Artemis wasn't any better the next time Holly saw him. If anything, he was worse. Before he had been unconscious and totally unresponsive, unusual, sure, but it meant his mind was attempting to heal itself. One didn't resist the Mesmer without some severe mental strain. Now though, the boy whimpered. The fever was worse than ever, Artemis' body covered in a dull sheen of sweat as the boy tossed and turned.

Holly had woken early from a nightmare, and been unable to get back to sleep. She was too worried for her friend, and the dream had not helped. She couldn't remember details . . . just that it had something to do with Artemis and . . . and something she didn't want to think about. She slipped out of the overlarge bed, followed by Calypso, whom she had apparently woken with her tossing and turning. She tiptoed to Artemis' room. His father was still there, asleep in the chair he'd been sitting in since Angeline had left.

Holly began wiping at her friends face with the cloth, despite the fact that the water was now lukewarm. Artemis whimpered, and Holly lay one hand on the human boy's forehead.

"Shh, you'll be fine," Holly said quietly. The next noise was rough, rasping past his dry lips, as if his throat was rubbed raw. A tear slipped past an eyelid, trailing down his cheek and into uncharacteristically messy black hair. Holly couldn't stand it. She put the cloth down and gently transferred herself from the chair to the bed, sitting beside Calypso, who was now curled against Artemis. Artemis spasmed suddenly, giving a violent jerk and causing Calypso to spring up, startled.

"Hey," Holly said gently, cradling her friend's head in her hands. "You're alright, Arty. You're alright." The words were hollow and hopeless sounding, and she choked back tears. The boy quieted, laying still once more. Holly's eyelids began to shut slightly, and when she checked, the clock beside the bed read three in the morning. Holly could feel the exhaustion creeping up on her again.

The elf lay carefully next to the boy, the cat stretched out between them. Holly could feel Artemis' breaths as they rasped out of him, as though the boy had just run a marathon. Not something Artemis Fowl the second was_ ever_ likely to do, the captain reflected.

She lay her head close to her friend's shoulder, and she could feel him shaking. Holly shot up, worry etched into her features. "Artemis . . ." she hugged him as well she could while he was lying in a bed unconscious. He was indeed shaking. "Come on!" Holly whisper-yelled. Her magic couldn't heal him, and what good was she without it, really? Her friend was trying to fight something that had never been successfully fought by a human, and it was killing him. Something furry rubbed up against her side.

Calypso looked up at her, lamp-like eyes reflecting the light of the nearby lamp; silently the cat asked if Artemis would be alright.

"I don't know, Calypso. I really don't know." Glimmer Vendera was a dangerous sprite, not in the same way as Opal, with all of Opal's plans for world-domination. Glimmer wanted to wipe out the humans, and her magical ability rivaled that of all warlocks when she was alive. Well, before her supposed death, anyway.

It had been Holly's first recon mission, but because of extenuating circumstances (mainly, a mandatory Haven shut-down due to the fact that a crazy sprite with some intense magical ability was trying to start a war with the humans) she had also played the part of retrieval. Julius Root and Foaly had been her the voices in her helmet during that mission. Holly could remember Julius' reaction when he found out that Holly had no back-up, and that she was essentially a rookie. Namely, a 'we're-all-doomed' reaction. It had been the talk of police plaza for about a month when she succeeded, before all of Holly's screw-up missions. Then . . . it was kind of forgotten. After all, Glimmer was dead, no need to worry about her, right? Apparently, wrong.

Holly held Artemis as the shaking subsided, as abruptly as it had started. She lay back down, doing her best to stop worrying. But it was near impossible. It would be a few hours yet until Number one came, and then Artemis would be okay . . . right? The demon warlock was the most powerful magical creature, more powerful than Glimmer. _But Glimmer might have gotten more powerful over the years_, came a voice, unbidden, in the back of her mind.

"Shut up," she told it grumpily.

_Well, why else would she have been so quiet? It's been three decades. Who knows what she could have found in that time?_

Holly buried her face into the crook of Artemis' neck, feeling the feverish hotness of his skin against her forehead. The mud boy smelt of paper, fresh grass, and a sharp smell that one could classify either as magic, or electricity. All in all, he smelled like Artemis. For some reason, this calmed her enough to quiet her worries.

Holly fell asleep like this, one arm over Artemis' chest, the other under her own head, and her head resting on his shoulder. For some reason, it didn't feel awkward as Holly thought it would, which was odd. But she could dissect the meaning of this later, when Artemis was better (because he _would _get better) and she wasn't so damn tired.

She didn't have any more nightmares that night.


	5. Demon Warlock

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, and I wrote it the day after pulling an all-nighter, I kid you not. So if you see any grammatical mistakes . . . feel free to point them out.**

** This chapter is dedicated to **Klicker'andKash **, a new reader and reviewer! R&R everybody! (And for those of you who don't like the story, I'm sorry. If you think I can't write for this fandom . . . well, don't read the story.) I DO accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, but DO try to put something you liked about the story in there too, so I don't feel like a failure . . . :(**

** Disclaimer, I DO NOT own Artemis Fowl, oh well. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

Holly was woken a few hours later by a little demon, and she'd never felt so relieved. "I'm so glad you're here!" she said, throwing her hands around Number One's neck.

"I'd like to say I'm glad to be here, but . . ." the demon trailed off, gesturing to Artemis. Holly nodded as she slipped off the bed, landing next to Number One on the soft carpet. She noticed that Artemis' father's chair was empty, and guessed that the man had gone to get something to eat. The two magical beings were alone in the room with Artemis.

"Foaly said you'd tried to heal him, and it didn't work," Number one said. "Do you know anything about why it didn't?"

"I think it has to do with something about the fact that this has never happened before; a human resisting the Mesmer, especially with Glimmer Vendera's magical prowess."

"What do you know about Glimmer Vendera?" Number One asked. "I mean, it'll be easier for me to find her magic if I know more about her. Magic can sometimes reflect the personality of the fairy that it comes from."

"Well, first of all, she's half-elf and half-sprite."

"That's . . . unusual," Number One noted, which was true. Normally, elves married elves, sprites married sprites, and so on. There were very few couples where the two fairies in question were from different fairy sub-species. (And _no_ couples where a dwarf married someone who wasn't a dwarf.)

"She was cruel, didn't mind who she hurt, she just wanted to destroy the humans. She thought, I don't know, she thought she was freeing us from some oppressive state. I didn't have a ton of contact with her, the point was to stay out of her sight in order to gather information to somehow stop her from massacring a bunch of humans." Holly paused, glancing at Artemis. "She didn't just want to kill all the humans though," she said quietly. "She wanted to enslave them, force them to pay us back for all the years we'd been stuck underground."

"So she's like Opal Koboi, a complete nut job?" Number One asked, surprising Holly.

"Um . . . yeah . . .?" she said. She hadn't really been expecting the term 'nut job' to come out of the demon warlock's mouth.

"I've been spending time with some of the junior LEP members," Number One said, as if it explained everything, which, Holly supposed, it kind of did.

Number One walked so he was standing next to Artemis. "I don't know how much, if any, I can help him," he said nervously. "Like Foaly said, Artemis isn't exactly human anymore. I mean, he does have some of your genetics from the time tunnel switch, not to mention the magic. And . . . the Mesmer . . . well, it's not easy to fight."

"You'll do fine, you always do. And anything you can do for him . . . if it gives us time to find Glimmer Vendera, it could mean everything."

The little demon nodded, placing his small hands on either side of Artemis' face. "This will take a while," he said, and closed his eyes. Red sparks skittled from the demon warlock's fingers, sinking into the human's closed eyes. Quietly, Holly left.

She made her way to the kitchen, only just realizing how hungry she was. She entered to find the whole Fowl family, along with Juliet and Butler, seated around a large dining table. When Juliet saw the elf, her concerned expression morphed into a sudden smile.

"It's so nice to see you Holly," she said, hugging the elf. "I came as fast as I heard."

"Nice to see you too, Juliet," Holly said fondly, returning the embrace. Holly had had an odd affinity towards the human girl since her own kidnapping. Her easy-going personality and ready heart; Holly was glad Juliet had decided not to become a bodyguard. It wasn't her calling.

"I saw Number One on his way to the room," Butler said from where he sat, rigid in his seat.

"He might be able to help, but he says it might take a little while," Holly said, jumping into the seat between Juliet and Beckett.

"So Artemis gonna get better today?" asked Beckett as he stuffed a whole sausage in his mouth. Myles looked vaguely disgusted by his brother's eating habit.

Holly considered the question. What should she say? Should she say yes, get their hopes up even if they might be beaten down again? Or say no and condemn them all to hours of fruitless worrying. "Probably," she said finally.

"Good." Beckett said. Myles remained silent, and Holly could see the worry in the creased brow of the young boy. That one really was a mini-Artemis, and not just in looks. He worried too much. And he cared about his family before all else.

"You want anything to eat, Holly?" Juliet asked into the small silence.

"Fruit, if you have any," Holly said, with a little wink.

"You know the answer to that one," Juliet said, one corner of her mouth turning up in a half-smile. She left to go to the kitchen.

"This . . . Number One fellow," Artemis Senior said. "He's the demon warlock?" The wary expression on his face confused Holly for a second, before she remembered that humans thought of demons as being evil.

"Yes," Holly said. "Artemis helped Number One bring his people back from limbo just before they all would have been wiped out of existence. Number One is the most powerful warlock in . . . well, maybe ever. If anyone can heal Artemis, he can."

_And what do we do if he _can't_?_ The question hung heavily in the air, but no one said anything. Myles seemed aware of the unease, but Beckett was shoveling pancakes into his mouth without a care in the world, or so it would seem.

Juliet brought Holly a bowl of fruit, picking up on the atmosphere right away. Apparently, Juliet was the twin's designated caretaker when she was at the manor, because she took Beckett and Myles away, saying they needed fresh air. Beckett complained loudly about his unfinished breakfast, but his twin simply slipped quietly from his chair. Something about the quiet obedience told Holly that Myles knew more than he let on.


	6. Little Talks

**A/N: So, here's the next chapter. It's kind of a filler, but I really wanted to put the last part in there.**

**This chapter is dedicated to **DarkNerdGirl **for reading and reviewing, and giving the story a chance.**

**I REALLY hope you like the chapter, my lovely loyal readers. Maybe even enough to review?**

Holly finished her meal and leaned back in the chair, biting her lip. What was it that the younger boy knew? Myles knew he knew something he wasn't supposed to, but whether it was something like knowing how grave this situation actually was, or something more sinister, Holly wasn't sure.

"Captain Short." Holly looked up at Artemis' father, eyes tired from the long night, brow pinched in worry. "This . . . this hasn't happened before, has it? Whatever's wrong with Artemis. That's why you don't know."

"Not with a human," Holly said with a sigh. "In fact, I would almost say Artemis isn't really completely human anymore. He's got some of my DNA, not to mention fairy magic." Holly tugged absently at her hair. It needed a wash. In fact, she might take a shower later.

"So you're saying he's part fairy?"

"It's plausible, and it explains why he could resist the Mesmer, which, considering it was Glimmer Vendera who probable enchanted him, is an amazing feat even for a fairy." She looked up at Artemis' parents, looking them in the eyes. "The people owe Artemis a great debt. And quite apart from that, he's my friend. We'll do everything in our power to help him. I promise."

She pushed back her chair stretching her hands above her head. "I'll go check on Number One, then I'll get cleaned up."

"Do you have any extra clothes dear?" Angeline asked.

"I'll be fine, thank you Mrs. Fowl," Holly said, a smile pulling the corners of her mouth up minutely.

She left the table, rinsing the bowl she'd used and putting it to dry. Then she climbed the stairs to the second floor, making her way to Artemis' room. She entered quietly, trying not to disturb Number One, who was probably deep in concentration at the moment.

Indeed, the demon warlock was still by the side of the bed, magic flowing into Artemis, who looked no better than he had when Holly had left, maybe an hour ago; but he didn't look worse either, which was good. The demon warlock's face was scrunched up in concentration, and it twitched a couple of times in the minutes Holly watched silently. Calypso jumped lightly off the bed, padding silently over to Holly and out the open door. The elf followed her.

Holly entered her room, looking around at the riches that surrounded her. The 'priceless' Persian rug, the paintings that adorned the walls. Once upon a time, Artemis would have cared more for the value of these objects than their beauty. But now . . . Holly supposed that Artemis didn't care so much for the coldness of his previous way of life. Absently, Holly kicked off her boots, walking across the warm, soft rug with her bare feet.

Holly moved to the bathroom off the side of the room, taking in her reflection from the mirror over the sink. There were dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks looked a little hollow. Her hair was stuck all over the place, she hadn't had a chance to brush it in a while. Hopefully a shower would help with this.

The elf turned to water on, stepping under the shower head and shivering a little at the biting cold. The water warmed up quickly though, and Holly massaged her scalp gently with the tips of her long fingers. This whole thing was nerve-wracking. Not the shower, of course, this was actually kind of relaxing. But Glimmer Vendera back . . . Artemis in something like a coma . . . all of this was building up a pressure in Holly's skull. Now was _really_ not the time for a headache.

Holly quickly soaped her hair, running her fingers through the short strands before rinsing it out. She stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself before rummaging through the small bag of stuff she had brought with her when she'd gotten Butler's call. Her omni-tool was there, as well as a number of other gadgets. She pulled out a tube of lotion, rubbing it onto the tips of her pointy ears. Ah, the joys of being an elf.

She put the lotion away and wiped at the now foggy bathroom mirror. Her wet hair now hung around her face, and the circles around her eyes were a little less pronounced. A night of sleep, and she'd be just fine. Of course, that was a luxury that might have to give way to worry, and once Number One healed Artemis, no doubt they'd be on another of those stop-the-villain-from-destroying-life-as-we-know-it trips, which didn't really come with a room and a bed.

Holly went to the dresser in the room, which held (as she knew it would, courtesy of Butler) a smaller T-shirt and sweats. A more comfortable outfit than her suit, which, while great in the field, didn't do well domestically.

Quickly, she pulled the comfy cloths on, and walked dried her hair vigorously with the towel. That done, the elf went back to the bathroom to brush her hair and her teeth (not at the same time . . . obviously).

A knock sounded at her door, and Holly went to open it. Myles stood outside it, looking worried.

"Where's Juliet?" Holly asked.

"Trying to get Beckett down from a tree," Myles said, seeming very unconcerned about his twin brother's plight. "I wanted to know how one fights this 'Mesmer'." The boy sketched quotations around the word.

Holly sighed. "Come in then."

"Firstly, what is the Mesmer? I mean, I get that it's supposed to control the mind, but how does it do that?"

"One thing you have to understand, Myles," Holly said, "Is that even fairies don't have a full understanding of magic. We don't know every _why_ or _how_. There are fairies who spend their whole lives studying magic, and we still don't know everything about it. The Mesmer imposes the will of a fairy, or other magic-wielder, on another being. Essentially, they control the other life-form."

"So how is it fought?" Myles asked.

"You should probably ask Foaly these questions. That's the centaur," she added, seeing the confused look on the boy's face. "As far as I can tell, great strength of will can help dispel the effects of the Mesmer. Most strong-minded humans can't even resist it."

"You said something about Artemis having magic, when you were telling us about all your adventures," Myles said. "So . . . I'm assuming magic helps one resist the Mesmer?"

"Yes, the evidence does suggest this," Holly admitted.

"I'm also assuming that my brother is in more danger than you want Beckett and me to know."

"Probably. I actually am not sure," Holly sighed, running a hand over her face. "But as soon as your brother wakes up, we'll find Glimmer Vendera and lock her up."

"Is it really going to be that easy?"

"Well," Holly said with a sigh, "These things can hardly keep getting harder."

If Holly could have seen the future, she would, perhaps, not have been quite so sure.


	7. Artemis is Awake

**A/N: Okay, so I got another of those Guest reviews that ripped on the story. I am sorry if the characters are OOC, but not so much sorry for the, apparently 'botched' explanation of Artemis' magic. Not everyone HAS the time to read through a book multiple times before writing something. BUT that's not the point. I need to change it so my story works in the long run. I'm taking advantage of something called 'Creative License'. Again, all that aside, if I get another guest review like that, I am ignoring it. I will not take what you have to say into account if you are not willing to let me know who you are, and if you don't have an account because haven't written a story, I'm sorry but maybe you shouldn't judge other people just yet?**

**Okay, all that done and said . . . I need to set something strait. When I said that Artemis is part fairy, it had everything to do with the magic, and NOTHING to do with his parentage. I can understand how that was a bit confusing, and I apologize profusely! :) Forgive me?**

**This chapter is dedicated to **luckyrogue7 **, I will try, really TRY to do some more description in the future. It's always kind of been a weak point for me, but I promise I will TRY.**

**Now, for all the readers, I hope you R & R!**

It was a few hours later that Number One was finished and came to find Holly, the Butlers, and the Fowls all sitting in a room about the size of Holly's apartment in Haven. They looked up from the plush couches as the little demon entered, looking tired but satisfied.

"Artemis is awake," said the little demon, voice rough with exhaustion. "He wants to see you."

Holly, like the humans, was a little short of breath when she stopped outside the bedroom door; which was open a little way, letting a chink of artificial light into the darkening hallway. She pushed the door open, the heavy oak swinging easily on oiled hinges.

Artemis was sitting up in his bed, leaning against that headboard as if he did not have the strength to sit on his own. He smiled as they all came into his room, ruffling the twins' hair as they clambered up next to him. On the large bed. His eyes were still tired, with dark shadows under them, and his hair, usually so neatly-kept, was lank around his face.

"How are you feeling?" Angeline asked him gently, settling herself gracefully on the edge of the bed.

"Better," Artemis said with a tired smile.

"That's not saying much," Myles muttered, and Artemis looked down at his brother in some surprise.

"No, I suppose it's not," he said quietly. Then he seemed to notice Holly standing beside his father at the foot of his bed.

"Hello Holly. Number One told me you were here."

"Hello Artemis. Nice to see you awake," Holly said but there was something in the way Artemis held himself that said he wasn't quite recovered. He smiled easily, but there was pain behind his eyes, that, being a LEP officer (and one of Artemis' friends), she noticed. She wanted to ask what he remembered, what exactly had happened to him, but she wasn't sure she should do so with the twins in the room. Well . . . with Beckett in the room, at least. Myles was a different story entirely. He already knew more than he really ought to.

Artemis' father seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her, because he gently picked Beckett up from the bed, depositing him on the thickly carpeted floor. He looked pointedly at Myles as he said "I think your brother's tired, boys. Why don't you go with Juliet to get some lunch?" Myles nodded, and gave his brother a quick kiss on the cheek before jumping down, landing with a soft thump. Juliet came forward to collect the boys, ruffling Artemis' hair gently.

"Get well, Artemis," she said, and Artemis smiled his thanks.

"I will," he said. And then the twins left with Juliet. Artemis leaned forward, hands hiding his face as he took deep, shuddering breaths.

"Arty?" Angeline asked as her husband sat on the other side of the bed and rubbed comforting circles on his son's back.

"I'm fine," Artemis gasped, taking a few seconds to compose himself before looking up at the people still in the room. Holly felt Number One shifting next to her, and looked over to him. The little demon almost looked nervous.

"What is it?" She asked quietly.

"Um . . . I'll explain later," he said.

With a little shrug, Holly leapt onto the bed, sitting against the short footboard. The demon scrambled up beside her, leaving only Butler standing by the door.

"What's the matter, old friend?" Artemis asked, looking at Butler with a questioning gaze. "Please tell me you don't blame yourself."

"I should have been there," Butler said, sounding almost angry with himself. Holly could sort of understand this, because of course Artemis would be attacked when he was alone. Not defenseless, Artemis was never really defenseless anymore with the magic in his mind.

"No, you couldn't have known," Artemis insisted, his left hand unconsciously playing with the edge of the white cotton sheet. "And you can't follow me everywhere, I'm not that kind of person. At least, not anymore." Then Artemis sighed. "Great," he groaned. "I'm turning into a typical teenager."

Butler laughed quietly as he lowered himself into the chair beside the bed. "We can only hope," he said with a smile. Artemis smiled in response, and slid down the headboard so he could lay back down. Angeline began stroking her son's hair away from his face.

"Your hair needs to be washed," she murmured.

"It'll happen, Mother." Artemis said, smiling up at her. Holly didn't want to disrupt the moment; Artemis looked so peaceful. But at the same time, she needed to know how much Artemis remembered about what Glimmer had tried to make him do.

"Artemis?" she asked, apprehensive.

"Yes Holly?"

"Um . . . what do you remember?"

"Not much, sorry."

"Can you tell me what you do remember?" Holly asked. "We need as much information as you can give us. Apparently, we might have to do another of those saving-the-world things again."

"There was an elf," Artemis said, scrunching his brow in an effort to remember. "But she had wings, like a pixie. Do you know who she is?"

"Glimmer Vendera. An elf-pixie hybrid. She was one of my first targets as a recon officer. She was thought to be dead," Holly said, and she couldn't stamp down the disappointment she felt towards herself. "She's very dangerous. She wants to punish the humans for the fairies living underground. She sees herself as some kind of savior. Glimmer is very into the idea of enslaving the humans. The magic she has is very strong, and no one, not even a fairy has ever been able to resist a Mesmer placed on them by her. Well . . . other than you."

"She tried to Mesmerize me?" Artemis asked.

"Yes. And that's why you were . . . sick." Holly said.

"I remember that bit," Artemis muttered. "My brain felt like it was being electrocuted."

"That would have been the magic trying to take control of your mind. Her magic was sneaky, powerful stuff," Number One supplied. "And . . . um, we might want to find this Vendera person sooner rather than later. I couldn't get rid of the magic, only kind of seal it off in the corner of Artemis' mind. He's not cured. Think of it like freezing it. Eventually, it'll melt and get out again. It's not a definite solution; and I have no idea how long it'll hold."

"Well then," Artemis said, "I suppose we should get started with this whole saving-the-world again." He tried to sit up again, but he gasped as he did so, eyes shut tight.

"Tomorrow," Holly hurried to say. "You need rest. Besides, I still have some things I need to ask Foaly."


	8. Another Piece on the Board

**A/N: So, here's the next chapter. I know, not much happens :P. Stuff will get going soon though, I think.**

**this chapter is dedicated to **Zeef,** whom I thank for the review, and, I think, very fitting analogy. :)**

**R&R everyone (And I do NOT own Artemis Fowl . . . which I think is pretty obvious)**

Foaly's voice came over the earpiece. "How's the Mud boy?"

"He's awake," Holly said. "But he seems very tired, and sometimes I think he's in pain."

"Did Number One say anything about that?"

"He said that he couldn't actually get rid of the magic . . . just, kind of, shut it away in a drawer. It won't stay locked away forever." Holly sighed, flopping back in the huge bed. "What did you find?"

"Not much," Foaly said. "Glimmer was an only child, and her parents died pretty early in her childhood. She grew up with foster parents Rose and Cedar Grew, but they died a few years ago of natural causes. And no one came forward with having known her before she . . . went a bit crazy."

"So we're in the dark in that way," Holly said, passing a hand over her eyes. "We're going in blind. Speaking of which, where are we going?"

"I was able to track Glimmer's magical signature from what Number One gave me. She's not actually too far from you. You know that place where you first met Artemis?" Oh, that was a way to put it. Holly wasn't likely to forget _that_ place any time soon.

"I remember," she said.

"Well, Glimmer's been hanging out there. Not that I'm surprised. She needs a constant source of magic to uphold all her power. As far as we can tell, she's got a few human goons with her."

"Mesmerized?" Holly guessed.

"Probably. But the question I'm asking . . . is why she went after Artemis. She's been off the grid for years. Unless she somehow spent the last few decades down in Haven, someone's giving her information."

Holly opened her eyes, staring at the creamy white high ceiling. Her eyes lazily traced the designs as she thought this over. "So . . . you think there's someone in Haven informing Glimmer of things that happen?"

"Yes."

"Can you look into that? And keep it quiet. We don't want the perp to know we're looking for them."

"Of course Captain Short. I'll call up Mulch and Doodah Day, shall I?"

Holly smiled. The PI business was flourishing, and the two ex-cons even consulted for the LEP every once in a while. With a heavy consultation fee. "Make sure to tell them . . . well, tell Mulch anyway, that Artemis needs his help. Maybe they won't charge us an arm and a leg this time," she said with a little laugh.

"Sure thing. And . . . um . . . Holly?"

"Yes, Foaly?" The Centaur had said 'um', and Holly had learned to read this as signs of bad news, or at least something she wouldn't like to hear.

"Be careful. We don't know what Artemis was Mesmerized to do."

"He said he didn't remember," Holly said, and so what if her voice was a touch defensive? She knew what Foaly was hinting at.

"This is _Artemis Fowl_, Holly. No one has any idea how his brain works, except him, and maybe that brother of his. Artemis' personal little Mini-me; Myles, I think. _My point is_," Foaly said. "Artemis may very well know, and be scared by it, or maybe he's afraid _you'd_ be scared of it."

"You think he was told to do something to me," Holly said, somewhat furious. She clenched the heavy comforter in her right hand, squeezing it as hard as she could.

"To you or Number One," Foaly admitted. "Admit it Holly. Why else would Glimmer Vendera have targeted him? Artemis and you were two key players, along with Mulch Diggums, in bringing down Opal Koboi. If it's someone in Haven, or even Atlantis, who's giving Glimmer information from underground, they'll have told her about that, and possibly about that little thing with Turnball Root. She'll want to get you two out of the way, and I doubt she'd say no to eliminating the most powerful warlock ever." Foaly paused for a second, before continuing. "And that would fit in with other things I've learned about Glimmer's Mesmerizing abilities. Often times, the few fairies who managed to resist her power were told to kill people close to them, or destroy something that played a key part in their childhood, or in making them who they are. To Artemis, you are both."

Holly let out a long breath, slowly unclenching her hand. "So you're saying I need to keep an eye on him?"

"I'm saying, it would be a good idea if he sat this one out. Or at least, he stayed in a stress-free environment and you communicated via electronics. Not that I'm saying that's going to happen, not with your luck. But you need to know if he feels the magic taking control again. Things like headaches, excessive pain, that kind of thing. Or maybe if he seems short of breath a lot. That often indicates pain." Foaly sighed. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not being much help here. But the LEP has had to close all tunnels to the surface to keep Vendera from getting to Haven. We can't send any backup. You're on your own again Holly."

"No, Foaly. You are not changing the topic of conversation right now. Artemis. You say it's a good idea for him to sit this out, and I almost agree with you. The problem, is that we need him. In tight situations, a helmet radio is not going to be able to help us. We'll just need to find out how much he didn't tell us. His parents were in the room after all, perhaps he just didn't want them to worry."

"That would be a losing battle, Holly. You just told them all about your little adventures. I'd say they're probably plenty worried."

"Which would be what he was thinking. Maybe. That he didn't want to worry them more."

"Be careful on this one Holly. I know you took down Glimmer before, but now she's likely out for revenge; _and_ with more magic than Opal Koboi could ever dream of having. Your luck may run out on this one."

"Just . . . just focus on finding her informer," Holly said. "I'll worry about Artemis." Then she terminated, just lying there for a minute before sitting up and jumping to the thick rug. Time to ask Artemis some questions in private, and hope he answered honestly.


	9. Trust you to Tell the Truth

**A/N: TO CATTY: I'm sorry you don't like this, but I'm trying my best, and I really think that's all you can ask of me. But I would ask that you leave my reviewers alone. Hate on the story all you like if you MUST, but please, PLEASE, I'd like people to feel safe letting their opinions be known. That's part of the reason I allow YOUR reviews to be shown.**

**NEW: And I DID talk to furrfurr2001, but I PMed them. I DO try not to do that kind of thing publicly when I can, because NO ONE ELSE wants to read that stuff. So sorry for seeming biased, I DID talk with them, and encourage all my readers to please review the story rather than the reviews. I also will apologize for my immature and overblown reactions to Catty's previous reviews. I am right now trying to right all wrongs people see with myself by apologizing for them here. I'm not always the best at taking harsh criticism (just ask any of my friends), but I AM working on it. SO I'm sorry, Catty, for seeming biased. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry. And can we all now review the story rather than reviews or my immature, childish author's notes? Thank you. Much love and apologies, musicalgirl4474.**

**This chapter is dedicated to **furrfurr2001 **, who told me they will continue to read the story, despite being put down by Catty. Many blessings to you, you lovely person.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and for those who don't, sorry I wasted your time. :P Enjoy, R&R, all those good things.**

When Holly opened the door, there was only one source of light in the large room. The center light had been turned off, and the heavy curtains closed against the almost-full moon outside. The lone lamp on the bedside table cast long, dark shadows on the maroon carpet and against the cream-colored walls. On the bed, Artemis sat, propped up on pillows, leaning against the headboard with a book balanced on his knees, a pen in his hands. He looked up as Holly closed the door with a click, and smiled.

"Ah, Holly," he said, voice both resigned and tired. "I knew you'd be coming."

"I . . . needed to know if you really don't remember what Glimmer told you to do," Holly said, jumping up onto the bed beside her friend. Artemis sighed.

"Holly . . . I don't want you to carry this burden," he said.

"You already carry it yourself, Artemis," Holly reminded him.

"And it's a heavy burden to bear," the boy said quietly, sighing as he set aside the pen and book, which he had apparently been annotating. Something about the brain, but Holly didn't pay much attention to the objects.

"It's the magic that's making it so hard," Holly said, sitting cross-legged in front of him, leaning her elbows on her knees, and resting her chin in her hands. "Let me help."

"Holly . . ."

"No Artemis," she interrupted. "You don't have to do this on your own. Just trust me."

"I do trust you," Artemis said, turning his face away.

"Then let me help," Holly said, leaning forward slightly. Artemis was silent for a while, and Holly sat patiently on top of the smooth, cool blankets, waiting for Artemis to turn back to her. To trust her with whatever it was that was scaring him. The fact that he couldn't meet her eyes told her that it was something that borderline_ terrified _him; that he apparently couldn't school his features to hide it.

"She wants me to hurt you." Artemis said finally, still facing away from holly, but she could tell from the tightness of his voice that his pale face would be tense in an attempt to keep tears at bay. "She wants me to kill a bunch of our friends and my brothers . . ." a sob escaped his throat, and his eyes were wet and red when he turned to face her again. "She wanted me to kill my brothers, Holly. And I . . . I can't let that happen."

"And you succeeded," Holly said quietly, and, she hoped, comfortingly. But Artemis just shook his head.

"No, I didn't. And you know this just as well as I do. I only put it off." He took a deep breath, running a hand through his unusually messy hair. "I can feel the magic sitting, waiting like a tiger about to pounce. It's not gone. Holly, I can't hurt them. They're family, they give me unconditional love, and I . . . I could never forgive myself if something happened to them." His voice broke, and he pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Quickly, Holly shifted her position so she could hug the boy, pulling him against her.

"They'll be alright, Arty," she murmured. "You saved them, you kept your mind your own long enough, and you still have more time. We'll catch Glimmer, and make her lift the Mesmer."

"Can she do that?" Artemis asked, voice thick. "_Would_ she do that?"

"What do you mean?" Holly asked, drawing back slightly, the lamp behind her casting a dark shadow over Artemis' thin face.

"Why did she single out Myles and Beckett?" He asked, leaning his head back against the dark wooden headboard. "Why them? I can kind of understand her wanting to use me against you, though I'm sure you could stop me with minimal effort. But why the twins?"

The lamplight glistened off his cheeks, marking tear-tracks that Holly hadn't noticed before. She ignored it though, because Artemis would not appreciate her asking if he was okay when it was so apparent that he was not. "I don't know," she said in response to his question. But she had an idea. Myles had looked like he knew more than he was letting them know. What if it was detrimental to whatever plan Glimmer was concocting? And his reaction to finding out about the people . . . was not what Holly really would have expected. Myles was really Artemis' mini-me. He should have been a little more interested. What if,_ what if_, Myles had found out about the people before that? What if he had found Glimmer, who saw a young mud-boy knowing of her continued existence as a problem? Of course she would solve this problem with a Mesmer. "No," she said quietly. She wouldn't lie to Artemis about this. "No, actually, I have an idea."

"Myles," Artemis said with a groan, once she explained, dropping his heads back into his hands. "I knew he was too much like me for his own good." Holly couldn't help chuckling at that.

"I'll leave you to get some sleep," Holly said, moving to slip over the silken edge of the soft bed. "It'll be a full day tomorrow." She was stopped by a cool hand on her arm.

"I can't sleep," Artemis said quietly. "I . . . the nightmares whenever I'm asleep. I wake up thinking I killed them, and they're not here to show me that it's just a dream. Please . . . stay. So I can know that at least one of you is okay." Holly hesitated for a moment, but the raw emotion in Artemis' eyes, something that he never showed, gave a hint of how much he was affected by the sinister magic inside his brain, tormenting him with visions of what might have happened had he loved his brothers a little less, if Number One had been unable to chase the magic into the back of his mind.

"Alright," Holly said quietly. "I'll stay." She leaned back into the fluffy pillows, shooting up again when Artemis picked the pen and book back up. "No," she said forcefully, taking both from him and laying them on the bedside table beside her. "If I'm gonna be here so you can sleep peacefully, you are going to actually go to sleep."

Artemis huffed, but he slipped down the headboard so that his head rested in the white pillows. Holly lay back down as well, on top of the silky sheets, allowing the cool night air to kiss her bare arms and feet. Reaching over, she turned the lamp's switch, plunging the room into darkness.


End file.
